Jennifer Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 My 40L tank is now covered with hairgrass and dwarf sag, virtually no substrate is visible. I have a dozen cardinals and a couple of ottos but am wondering if I need a scavenger/bottom feeder. I am in two mind about this. At the moment I am very careful about feeding very small amounts at a time so none of it ends up down in the plants but at one point a pellet fell out of the courgette that I had hanging for the ottos and it just rotted down in the hairgrass. Do I need some bottom feeders? Or do I just need to be anal about hoovering up any food that falls down there? Or do I just leave it for the plants? Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 My 40L tank is now covered with hairgrass and dwarf sag, virtually no substrate is visible. :bounce: Congrats! 40L isn't tiny but it's not huge either. One pellet shouldn't matter, the plants can handle it but don't get too sloppy. I think you're pretty well stocked right now, Ottos are bottom feeders, aren't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted October 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 :lol: Thanks!!! :bounce: I am not an expert about ottos but I do know that they aren't touching the brown algae that is down at the base of the hairgrass even though they cleared the rest of the tank within a day after I put them in. They also won't touch any food that falls down into the hairgrass. In fact, I never see them anywhere near the hairgrass which kind of hacks me off because I got some brown algae on there that I want them to clean off. :evil: I adjusted the photoperiod and have balanced the CO2 and ferts so now the sag is producing O2 bubbles all the time! Still annoyed about that brown algae on the hairgrass...looks like it is dying but I know that it isn't ....grumble grumble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 I know how you feel I have a terrible cloud of green algae sitting bang smack in the middle of some of my original hairgrass. I've tried trimming, ottos don't want it and the new runners are left alone :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alienara Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 talking about bottom feeders... do we have freshwater prawns here in NZ? I saw my friend's aquarium when I was overseas and she had some small prawns in her aquarium that was feeding on the fish food that fell to the bottom. I thought that was a pretty good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 There are no freshwater tropical shrimp for the aquarium trade in NZ at the moment. Many of us wast cherry shrimp brought in - but that could take years and years. There are coldwater shrimp that you can get - but those are NZ natives and need COLD water all the time. The only other shrimp are in a containment facility in taupo - some sort of prawn park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted October 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 Mmmm, the prawn park....I have fond memories of that place........ :roll: Here's hoping that Sam is managing to make some headway with regard to the Cherry Shrimp....I predict he will one day he will announce to us that he got them in and he just happens to have some for sale at $100 each! :lol: 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 it won't be feasible for 1 person to get them in - with the qt costs and what have you. Infact one would be setting them selves to fail cause they don't have a relationship with MAF and the other parties. I'm going to call a few importers and see what they think of it - but that will be after the 1st week of November. My dad can ask the powers at be in MAF if I ask him to as well, but that is closer to the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alienara Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 hmmm.... ok.... can you also ask your dad to find out how much it'll cost to bring in guppies from asia? I've been seeing some really nice varieties there that I don't think we'll ever find here. Saw one in my friend's pond that looked as though it had a peacock's feather for a tail. very ncie that one and he doesnt' even know it haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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